A meeting in Jersey City’s Lincoln Park that was intended to drum up interest in a neighborhood watch program instead turned into a chance for new city leaders to reassure residents anxious about a recent spate of violence throughout the city.

Mayor Steve Fulop, four of his allies on the City Council and the man who is set to become the city’s new public-safety director all gave brief speeches to about 30 people assembled inside Lincoln Park’s Gallo center. The message: things will get better.

“In three weeks, I can say that we’ve taken some very, very serious steps to kind of change the path that we’re on,” said Fulop, who became mayor on July 1.

Fulop noted that Jim Shea, a New York City deputy police chief Fulop has appointed as director of a new public-safety department, worked in the New York Police Department’s youth and gang crime division. Shea is set to be approved by the council next week.

“I think we can really turn a corner here for the entire city, and not just have one area that’s safe and one area that’s lagging behind,” the mayor said.

Tonight’s meeting, hosted by Freeholder Bill O’Dea and Ward B Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal, came as the city experiences a spasm of violence. Amin Sumter, 23, became Jersey City’s fifth homicide victim this month, and 12th this year, when he was killed in a hail of gunfire near Arlington Park on Friday.

O’Dea and Ramchal said they want to organize a neighborhood watch to be the “eyes and ears” of the community. O’Dea, who represents the West Side of Jersey City on the nine-member freeholder board, said such a program would free up police personnel to patrol areas where neighbors may be less inclined to form such a group.

“It’s about reporting things,” O’Dea said tonight. “It’s about reporting things to the police department. It’s about being good neighbors.”

Loren and Kristen Hart, who live in Society Hill, said they attended tonight’s meeting because they want to get more involved. He’s a firefighter and she’s a teacher, they said, so they know all about the problems the city faces.

“When we grew up, every block had a neighborhood watch,” Loren Hart said.

Ten people signed up tonight to be part of the neighborhood watch. O'Dea said participants would be asked to "patrol" about four hours a day one night a week (he and Ramchal are each signing up for one night a piece).

A training session for neighborhood-watch volunteers will be held in August. If you’re interested in joining, email Ramchal at kramchal@jcnj.org